A couple of years ago, I slow travelled through just Northern Portugal in 3 weeks. This summer, it was a fast paced family trip in about a week.
Naturally, with limited time, the focus shifts to the two main cities of Portugal - Lisbon and Porto. Depending on your preference, you can focus more on one over the other. We focused more on Porto. If you're into beaches and nightlife, you should focus on Algarve. If you're into hiking, Madeira.
There's enough to see in Lisbon and Porto alone in 7-10 days. Perhaps the most interesting sights from the two cities are their viewpoints, or miradouros. Their hilly geography and beautiful architecture makes for some of the world's prettiest cityscapes. I realised in my last trip report about Northern Portugal in three weeks, I posted more photos from monuments and streets. With only 20 photos selectable per Reddit post, this time I've gone heavier on the cityscapes from miradouros as they are indeed a specialty of Lisbon and Porto. Many of them require some serious uphill walks, but others are more easily accessible. Tuk-tuk tours are a great way to get around to these spots, which was a boon for my elderly parent. The same geography and architecture also makes for gorgeous streets - Alfama in Lisbon, and the historic centre of Porto are great places to walk around (hilly workout aside). Both cities have good public transport systems, it's easy to get around. Unfortunately, all of Lisbon's funiculars and lifts are closed following last year's accident.
Lisboa Card is a great deal, entry to a couple of key attractions alone pays it off. You also get free public transport across Lisbon, and intercity transport to Sintra, Cascais and Almada. Be warned though, while the card gets you to those cities, they don't cover transport within those cities. Porto Card was a great deal when I was here last a couple of years ago; however its value has been diminished now. It can still be worth it depending on your itinerary, if its heavier on monuments and museums.
For a faster paced itinerary, you may want to see more than just Porto and Lisbon. Sintra and Cascais are great getaways from Lisbon. Likewise, from Porto you have Aveiro, Gaia and Matosinhos, and of course, the Douro valley, home of Port wine. All of these can be done in half day trips accessible by bus or train, except for Douro valley where the full day wine tasting tours are the most convenient options. There's tons to see in Sintra, but a half day visit to Pena Palace is fine for fast travel. If you're into architecture, check out Aveiro's cosy Art Nouveau museum. I could write a paragraph about each place, but this post is already getting too long in today's TikTok age.
Lisbon has countless museums covering various unexpected niches - everything from coaches to codfish. The aquarium in the modern part of Lisbon, Parque das Nacoes, is brilliant.
Porto and Lisbon are connected by a train, taking around 3 hours. Alfa Pendular is the fastest option, while Intercidades takes 10-20 minutes longer for a lower cost. However, if you book in advance, you might get half price tickets on AP. These trains connect most of Portugal's destinations. While Portugal is still more affordable than most of Western Europe or North America, the prime areas of Lisbon and Porto are no longer cheap. You can definitely find plenty of budget options for food and accommodation if you look into the quieter areas, and the viewpoints, beaches, and parks are free. But many of the great museums and historical monuments can cost between 5€ and 20€ (Lisboa card helps!), and the more upscale restaurants are as expensive as Western Europe.
I'm sure you'll not miss pasteis de nata, but don't forget Portugal's elegant seafood. Matosinhos near Porto in particular has great seafood.
A quick note about the photos since I always get questions about gear and such. I left my camera behind, and shot exclusively on a Galaxy S26 Ultra. I dialed in the look using the camera app's excellent Pro mode. I'm sure the photos would be nicer and more consistent with some editing, but in the age of heavy AI enhancements and Instagram filters it feels refreshing to post unedited photos with all their imperfections!
As always, feel free to AMA!